This is a true account of what happened on May the 2nd, 1997. None of us were prepared for the shock that came on that night. Don was out walking the dog. I had opted to stay home that night, as he had just gotten my "old computer" out of the shop. He had memory and harddrives and things added to it, so I wanted to stay home and play. I spoke with friends on the phone and lost all track of time. I honestly don't know how long he was gone, when he came in, all I could hear was this blood curtling "SUE!". The first thing that popped into my head, was "Oh my God, something happened to the dog!" We are both very attached to her and probably would have reacted in that way.

I quickly ran out to him to find out was wrong to see him, half sitting, half laying on the couch...gasping for breath. He was trying to tell me he couldn't breathe...and I kept asking where the dog was! Anyway, I kind of thought "heart attack" but kept denying it to myself. He walked for an hour or two every night, and was always very slender...and never, ever had a blood pressure problem, while I have been on blood pressure medication since I was thirty!

The drive to the hospital was horrifying. If I had been smart and not reacted to "his" panic, I would have, and should have called an ambulance. By the time we almost reached the hospital, he had momentarily stopped breathing (or was holding his breath), but it became extremely quiet from his side of the car, and I was terrified.

Finally, at the hospital, and in triage, trying desperately to remember answers to questions that were flying at me...the nurse marked a big "URGENT CARE" on the top of the admitting papers. He was taken to a room, and after a short while, a doctor came in to see us. He checked Don's heart and breathing, and sat him up a little, and asked me if Don always had that color to him. It was then that I realized he was greyish looking and his lips were bluish. Within a second, a nurse was asked to hook him up to the heart machine just to check everything out...she hooked the wires up to his chest, his legs, his arms, and started the machine...within 2 seconds of the machine starting up, she literally plucked the wires from him, signalled the doctor in the hallway, and we were off. While we were running, the doctor said to me..."Mrs. Clarke", your husband is having a heart attack, and I'm not going to lie to you...he is having a "big" heart attack!" I was grateful for his honesty, and while fearful, felt strangely calm. I think, "knowing" what it was..."knowing" that there was a problem, then there would be a "solution". Don was immediately rushed into "emerg", and that was when they asked me to go and call his family! Now that made me scared! Don looked at me, and said, "Go on, it's ok...I'm not going anywhere!", looking at his arms hooked up to 7 different I V's...Within minutes, his color was coming back, his sense of humor, his sense of relief, and I went off to make phone calls. Friends and family came, so I wouldn't be alone, and although hesitant to leave the hospital, at around midnight, I knew I had to go. It was pouring rain and so cold for May. But it was indicative of the way I felt.

A week later, Don was back from the hospital, and a month later, he was back at work. For a long while I was very nervous, but I'm alright now too!